Meet the Sol Duc Cabin by Olson Kundig Architects
Interior of Tiny Modern Cabin with Loft
View from Inside and the Elevated Steel Deck/Balcony
Photos by Benjamin Benschneider
This tiny modern cabin was built by a client of Olson Kundig Architects who fly-fishes on the Olympic Peninsula. For this reason the cabin has shutters that completely enclose and secure the cabin when the owner is away.
The reason it’s on stilts is to keep the cabin safe during occasional floods that occur in the area. It was built using steel and structural insulated panels (SIPs). Most of the cabin was prefabricated off site.
The cantilevered roof gives solar shading while protecting the structure from strong storms. The shutters open and close using a custom steel rod. The hardware was originally designed for large barn doors.
Learn more about this awesome little prefab steel cabin over at the architect’s site here.
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I like it! Not real fond of steel because of the rust factor and expense but maybe they recycled some of it. I love the balcony but all those windows would be a nightmare to keep clean and would reduce efficiency for heating and cooling.
LaMar
I think it’s interesting; steel exterior and wood interior. The interplay of cold & warm. The large roof overhangs keep out the hot summer sun (when the sun is high in the sky while allowing the low winter sun to penetrate but shelter it from colder winter winds. That is the passive solar concept.
The steel front shutter will be twisted badly the first real wind as it’s 150+ sq’. That’s about 1600lbs of force at 60 mph which isn’t unusual in local storms. Not a good design point.
it would have been much better to swing up and save the cost of the porch roof it could have replaced.
Those high up roof overhangs don’t protect from sideways rain and catch a lot of wind. Not a fan of the huge shutter just hanging there when open. Another wind catcher. If your location gets a lot of wind it’s probably not a good choice. That said, I love the interior and all the windows for the view. You’d spend a lot of time cleaning them though.
I do like the concept of being able to completely lock up a structure (e.g., sliding covers for door and windows) to deter theft and vandalism. Often these structures are secluded and are particularly venerable if only used for weekends/ recreationally.
I like that too about it Matt. Would make me feel a lot better when having to leave it for a few days, weeks, etc.
I’m a HUGE fan of modern or odd-looking tiny homes so this one tickles my fancy, completely. I don’t know the weight of the sliding door so not sure how much a factor wind would have in twisting it. Also, I’m curious with how much muscle it requires to get that door in motion. I would have figured that it would be motorized for ease in movement. Another thing to ponder about a metal home: is it grounded? It must be to prevent lightening to ground strikes.
For those of you commenting on cleaning the windows: This couple ponied up the money for an architectural firm to design a tiny house for make their fishing trips nice! “Cleaning Windows” is the least of their concerns! They simply hire a local person to clean their home and windows like all my client’s do with their second and primary homes. That wife never raises a cloth to clean that glass, I can guarantee that fact! Same goes for glass shower doors, stainless appliances and marble floors…house keepers tend to them, never the owners: they’re too busy fly-fishing. 😀
Lol, great points, and I didn’t even think of if the house is grounded.. Must be, right? 😀
Trust me—I live in a heavy fly fishing area (Battenkill River etc) and the people who buy here do NOT do their own cleaning. Even if one of them does NOT fish—they are NOT spending their time with a duster and the Windex!!!! We looked at a house on the “Trophy Section” of the Battenkill and lets just say–it was a bit out of our range—but—these people don’t CARE about insulation or heat loss/gain etc—they can AFFORD the oil AND the multi thousand dollar custom Orvis rod and reel not have to choose between oil and food.
All I could think when I saw this very cool house was—that “sail” will spin this thing off the steel and fling it skyward!!!!!!